The present invention relates to a system for handling packaged integrated circuits. The present invention has particular applicability in transferring packaged integrated circuits from one holding tray to another.
Conventional packages for semiconductor devices, also known as integrated circuits (xe2x80x9cICsxe2x80x9d), include JEDEC standard-sized packages such as thin small outline packages (TSOPs) having leads, or ball grid array packages (BGAs) having attached solder balls. Conventional JEDEC standard plastic trays having an array of pockets for holding the devices, such as an 8xc3x9712 array of ICs, are typically employed to facilitate in-process handling of packaged ICs.
A lot or lots of packaged devices typically need to be xe2x80x9cbatchedxe2x80x9d at one or more processing steps; that is, transferred from one JEDEC standard handling tray to another. For example, packaged ICs are electrically tested after assembly. At the testing stage, a large lot of packaged devices may need to be split into two or more groups of trays, or several small tots may need to be combined into one large lot to reduce the number of partially filled trays. Packaged devices may also need to be batched after testing prior to marking, at a lead inspection sampling procedure (depending on yield and package type), and/or at shipping (depending on customer demand).
Anywhere devices need to be transferred from one tray to another, current techniques require manual transfer of ICs using, for example, a vacuum pen to pick up and place each device. This manual method is time consuming and prone to human error. Defects such as bent and non-coplanar leads, as well as incorrect device orientation, tend to be introduced. Moreover, devices can be miscounted or mixed together.
There exists a need for an apparatus and method for fast, error-free batching of ICs, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and increasing production throughput.
An advantage of the present invention is a method and apparatus for batching ICs that prevents damages to the devices, miscounting of devices and incorrect orientation of the devices.
Additional advantages and other features of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from the practice of the invention. The advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
According to the present invention, the foregoing and other advantages are achieved in part by an apparatus for transferring articles from a first container to a second container, the apparatus comprising a pick and place head for picking up and placing the articles; motors for moving the pick and place head; a memory for storing a first position of each of the articles in the first container; and a processor configured for controlling the motors to move the pick and place head to the stored first position of one of the articles, controlling the pick and place head to pick up the article, controlling the motors to move the pick and place head to a second position in the second container, and controlling the pick and place head to place the article at the second position.
Another aspect of the present invention is method for transferring articles from a first container to a second container, the method comprising providing a pick and place head for picking up and placing the articles, and motors for moving the pick and place head; storing a first position of each of the articles in the first container; controlling the motors to move the pick and place head to the stored first position of one of the articles; controlling the pick and place head to pick up the article; controlling the motors to move the pick and place head to a second position in the second container; and controlling the pick and place head to place the article at the second position.
Additional advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description, wherein only the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown and described, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention. As will be realized, the present invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.